The City of San Marcos declares September is National Preparedness Month, a nationwide effort sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools.
Recent disaster events like earthquakes, prolonged periods of drought, extreme fire conditions, and unpredictable storm patterns serve as a reminder of the importance of disaster preparedness. An educated and prepared community reduces the impacts of large-scale events and ensures recovery of a region when emergency responders are spread thin.
Here are some helpful emergency preparedness tips:
- Make a plan: your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan ahead, map out safe places, and determine how you will contact one another.
- Build a kit: Have an emergency kit with at least three days’ worth of essentials at your home that includes food, one gallon of water per person per day, medications, important family documents and specialized items like baby or pet supplies.
- Stay informed: Know what disasters are of particular risk to your community and familiarize yourself with city and workplace evacuation plans. San Diego County residents can also register phones with AlertSanDeigo to receive emergency notification alerts.
- Get involved: Find opportunities to support community preparedness. The City of San Marcos offers free CPR classes and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training courses. CERT classes begin Sept. 8, 2012 and include courses in disaster preparedness, fire safety, terrorism, basic disaster response skills and disaster medical operations to prepare individuals to tend to themselves and their family members, neighbors, or coworkers during crisis events.
To learn more disaster preparedness tips, review survival guides, or to register for emergency alerts, visit www.readysandiego.org or call the City of San Marcos,
